“Tess is a true believer in the church of rock’n’roll. She has great taste and is really sharp!” - Alan McGee

Tess Parks is a musician and photographer born and raised in Toronto. The granddaughter and daughter of musicians and an art school dropout, she moved to London at seventeen years of age to pursue music and to study photography. She has played as a solo act for the past four years between the UK and Canada. After overstaying her visit in London, she reluctantly moved back to Toronto on the advice from one of her heroes. Once home, she put together her amazing psychedelic backing band of “sexy and talented musicians”, The Good People, in late 2012, compromising gifted guitarist Andrew McGill, bassist Thomas Huhtala and her record's producer and multi-instrumentalist Thomas Paxton-Beesley.

Tess met Alan McGee during her four-year tenure in London. “She's only 23 and is already an amazing songwriter, she just doesn't quite know she is yet,” suggests McGee. “Her most beautiful quality is her lack of ego. Tess is an amazing lady.” Early in 2013, she released a self-funded EP Work All Day/Up All Night, which was recorded in Toronto. At the same time, Tess began demo'ing songs for what would become her debut album, which were also available via Bandcamp.

Tess describes her songs as “lo-fi alternative drones with a hypnotic vibe”. Another of her influences is Elliott Smith. “I was brought up on Bob Dylan and Nirvana and The Beatles and The Rolling Stones and Zeppelin, and all that good shit,” says Tess. She's hung out with the likes of the Dandy Warhols and met Alan McGee in London. “We stayed in touch - that was it really. I just got so lucky,” adds Tess. “I love Oasis, Jesus and Mary Chain, My Bloody Valentine… He's affiliated with all of my favourite musicians.”

Tess recorded her album of scuzzy, downbeat psychedelia (think Mazzy Star crossed with The Brian Jonestown Massacre) across the summer. It's pre-empted by the release of her debut single proper "Somedays‟.

“I am very proud of Blood Hot,” admits Tess. “All of the songs have carried me through or helped me make sense of bad situations. Once I moved back to Toronto, I reconnected with some of my life-long friends and met some other wildly gifted musicians. I ended up having the pleasure of making a record with these people.”

"Blood Hot‟ has been a long time coming. “It's like the project that my whole life has been leading up to,” explains Tess. “I think it's gonna be really special. I'm just the happiest I have ever been. I have the best band, they're my best friends. It's just so good to be alive. Music is the greatest.”

TRACK LISTING

1. SOMEDAYS / 2. GATES OF BROADWAY / 3. WHEN I AM YOUNG / 4. REFUGEE CAMP / 5. STICK AROUND / 6. OPEN YOUR MIND /7. WALK BEHIND YOUR HOUSE / 8. GOODNIGHT LOVE / 9. THIS TIME NEXT YEAR / 10. LIFE IS BUT A DREAM / 11. LOVE AROUND